Last season, the Red Wings goalie didn’t spend as much time in the Motor City has he would’ve liked — most of his time was with AHL Grand Rapids — but injuries to Jimmy Howard and Ty Conklin in early February gave MacDonald a shot at starting, and he replied with an 8-5-1 record, 2.16 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

That brief spell pushed MacDonald into setting a goal for 2012-13 — to be the full-time No. 2 behind Howard.

MacDonald as the backup would make sense for Detroit, especially since he’s already on the books for $550,000 and played well in relief last season, far better than Conklin. That said, the Wings might make a move for Washington’s Tomas Vokoun, a guy they targeted last season but couldn’t match the Capitals offer for (namely, the shot at a starting gig.)

Vokoun is now 35 and seemingly more suited for a backup role, so the Wings could come calling again.